


The Tryst

by GoreCorset (CorsetJinx)



Category: Shall We Date?: Wizardess Heart+
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Body Horror, Canonical Character Death, F/M, M/M, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-05-26 04:20:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6223633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorsetJinx/pseuds/GoreCorset
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>And so they built a life on trust, though it starts with love and lust. The walls they built disintegrate. From the icy north, to the far east, a bond is built that would appear fragile. Their story is woven over time. A story of friends, rivals, lovers and saviors, and what it takes to make them see beyond their selfishness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Maledictus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blood in the water, blood on his hands.

There was nothing left here under the blood red moon and the red stained woods, deep shadows mocking the being that was and would never be again. Those haunting shadows which would stain this memory for as long as they lived. His head hung low, back pressed hard against the trunk of an ancient tree - what kind he wasn’t sure of. His chest rose and fell rapidly for a few moments longer, and, with each deep breath he took, began to fall into a steadier rhythm. 

He had accomplished his goals - the Nue’s goal? - to an extent, only moments ago. At least, a small fraction. He could still recall those crystalline eyes staring at him, red as blood and full of hate and anger. He could still feel that incredibly sharp horn buried deep in his side. It had torn through his vest and shirt, skin and muscle as if there had been no resistance. And it had burned. It had hurt. That white hot heat which had shot through his body, nerve endings screaming. Blood had spilled hot and sticky down his front, a deeper red than he had ever seen, but his fingers, trembling, had wrapped around the unicorn’s horn. He wasn’t sure if it had been his strength alone, or perhaps the Nue’s, but he had managed to snap the beast’s horn from it’s skull, taking some of the unicorn’s flesh with it.

The beast had cried out, with a voice that was both loud and soft all at once. Pain, fear, something primal and nameless. He could see, had seen something in that gaping wound. Brain tissue perhaps? He wasn’t entirely sure as blood darker than his own came gushing out of the wound. The creature had staggered back, hooves stirring the once pristine waters, thick droplets of blood spilling onto the surface.

A woman’s voice had called out to him in a language that was foreign to his ears. A language that sounded somewhat harsh, maybe lyrical? It was hard to place a name on it. He hadn’t turned to the speaker, blue eyes focused on the swirling darkness before him. For a moment he saw Tsukasa’s pained face, but it had only lasted a moment. And then that face had begun to twist into something of a sadistic grin. It was disturbing to see.

“Tsukasa -”

“It is not who you think it is.” Her voice had interrupted him, closer this time. To his left, he was sure. But he couldn’t pull his gaze away from the Nue that was masquerading as his brother. He knew her voice now, that accent… that girl, Rothbart, Odile. Funny, he hadn’t expected her to be here, to have even known about this place. Someone like her who had shown so little an interest in magical beasts…

But he was hurting bad, and that unicorn’s horn was buried so deep…

And then his world had gone black.

And now, now he was here, some ways away from the scene of the crime. Somehow safe and whole, or at least as close as he could be. How had he managed to get here? Surely it wasn’t the Nue, and it wasn’t Tsukasa…

Couldn’t have been.

“You’re awake,” Odile’s voice was surprisingly soft. Her shadow stretched out before him, barely touching his knees. She was close, but not too close. He had to lift his head to see her blood smeared boots. His gaze climbed along the mid-calf boots, up the dark stocking clad legs to the edges of her skirt. Even the lace edged black material was wet with blood. His blood, he was sure. 

Azure eyes snapped down to his pale hands, coated in dried blood. As the thick coppery scent tickled his nose, the more aware of it he became. The more aware of his situation he became. His hands moved to his side, touching the torn fabric of his open vest. His brother’s pendant now held a red tarnish, and, with careful fingers, he moved it to the side, away from his torn side. The thin black material of his shirt rustled under his touch, but gave way to probing digits. 

The foreign wizardess - witch, whatever she wanted to go by, watched him with amusement in her usually blank bright blue eyes. “I’ve healed you as best as I could,” she kept her voice low. Just loud enough that he could hear, but it wouldn’t carry too far. “You should be fine, Azusa Kuze.”

“Odile Rothbart.” Her name came out in a hiss as he looked away from his person, finding that her words had rang true. He could hardly think of why she would do this. Why she had gotten between him and the Nue. He couldn’t think of any reason beyond something selfish - the unicorn horn! He looked up at her, azure eyes meeting electric blue. Her face was impassive, lips drawn into a loose frown. Her hands held something familiar, the magic pouring from it one he knew well. The Nue? But how? “What have you done?”

“I cursed it. You provided the blood sacrifice I required to seal the wicked spirit away.” She held out the locket, a bird cage made of silver and obsidian, covered in characters he couldn’t quite see. Not that that would be possible given the distance between them. A dark aura spread out from the cage, which, to most, would look empty. But he knew otherwise. “It’s yours, although I don’t believe you could undo the seal.”

And she was right. Azusa knew little of her magic. He had only heard stories about the Rothbart line from Randy. Something about their magic being forbidden outside of Russia? Something about swans and princesses and curses - a play based on their lives. He had only met Odile once or twice before now, she had been placed in a special class after her trial. Her magics required more than just the customary wand and incantations. It was said, whispered anyway, and now proven true, that blood was often involved. Something illegal within this country.

“Does it bother you? It was going to kill you, you do realize? Shortly after you had killed the unicorn,” she said it as if it didn’t mean a damn thing to her, “it had clear intentions to kill you. That is quite foolish.”

“I know that,” he snapped bitterly at her. As if he needed her grinding salt into his wounds. All he had wanted was his brother back. Any way to get him back had been fine. Acceptable. No matter the the means, he would have done it. And she must have thought him a fool. She, the girl who had saved him. Ridiculous. “I know… so shut up. Don’t tell me what I already know.”

“You know not the kind of creature you were playing with.” 

Playing with? He had never considered the spirit to be a toy. She knew nothing about the situation. He wanted to snap back, he was going to snap back, but the crunch of her heel on the fallen leaves and twigs somehow dissuaded him. She moved closer, stopping just shy of her toes meeting his heels. Her shadow covered him, swallowed him in its darkness. From the locket that dangled just before him, he could feel the waves of negative magic. Black magic. And he could feel it coming off of her as well, still fresh.

“This is yours to dispose of, Azusa, this is your curse to bear. Your burden.” She dropped the locket onto his lap. But he was no longer looking at it. Instead he gazed up at her through his messy bangs, his eyes half lidded but a darker blue than normal. Darkness swirling in their depths. His lips drew back in a scowl. She simply gazed down at him with such a calm, yet blank expression. Her strawberry blonde locks moved now and again with a half felt breeze, strands brushing against her cheeks.

Unfazed. 

She had witnessed him kill a magical beast, a sacred one at that. Had gone up against the Nue, sealed it even. And yet, for all the world, she looked as if nothing had disturbed her. Could disturb her. There was ice inside those veins, ice inside her body. 

“What did you plan to do?” Curiosity dripped off of her words, maybe even flashed in her eyes. He didn’t look away, not for a long moment. Long lashes swept down to greet the top of his cheeks, and when next they lifted he was gazing at her waist. Part of him wanted to know what had happened to the unicorn horn - there was still a chance, right? Even a small one -

“What should it matter to you?”

“Perhaps I can be of assistance.”

Silence settled between them. The forest, still as death, offered no relief. Her boots pressed into the tightly packed soil. His lap felt warm where the small locket lay, just big enough to fill the palm of his hand. It was covered in runes he couldn’t recognize, probably Russian letters.

“I wished to bring my brother back.”

Again silence settled between them. It was heavier now, weighed down with a thousand words he couldn’t quite convey. Or a thousand she couldn’t say.

“You cannot bring the dead back to life. Living is a curse, Azusa, remember that.”


	2. Gradus Prohibitus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are places that are forbidden to enter.

They were beautiful together, bodies pressed tight against one another. Lips meeting with a fever that she had not seen before. And yet… and yet it seemed perfect between those two. Considering their history. Long fingers tugged at tangled green locks, try as he might to pull his head back to get at his neck. Laughter bubbled forth from the taller man’s lips each time their lips parted. The blond let out a huff, pulling away from his lover for a moment. 

Violet eyes met emerald ones.

“You’re so red,” Luca chuckled, bringing a hand up to cup Elias’ jaw, thumb caressing his lower lip. Elias tried to sputter out a retort, some comeback, but it died down quickly as the door to the abandoned dance room opened. It hadn’t been used in years, according to the slovenly wizard, no one even remembered where it was. It was a ways from the usual classrooms, admittedly, in a almost abandoned area of the vast castle of an academy. Even Elias hadn’t known of the practice room’s existence. So hearing the door open so suddenly and out of the blue had left him at a loss.

He turned his head slowly, gaze moving along the floor to ceiling mirrors on the left wall, the well worn and loved ballet barre. Why hadn’t he put two and two together? An abandoned practice room far from the other students, kept immaculately clean. There was only one student he knew of who would request this room be kept unlocked, who would take the time to fix the room up.

Violet eyes lifted, looking at the strawberry blonde haired woman reflected in the mirror. She was beautiful, long legs clad in snow white tights, knit black legwarmers gripping her calves - strong calves he had admired from a distance. She wore a simple black leotard, a thin gauzy wrap around her waist. And those electric blue eyes glanced over him and Luca, cold as ice.

“Luca.” Odile finally spoke. Even her tone was frigid. He felt as though she could turn them into swans with just a word, as if she would stick true to that character she shared her name with. Her slipper clad feet quietly moved across the polished hard wood floor. She gingerly closed the door behind her and moved across the right wall. Her bag slowly slipped down her arm, landing at her feet. “You’re disrespectful, Luca. I warned you about bringing your toy here.”

“Odile, come on, don’t be that way.” Luca carefully untangled his limbs from Elias’ own. His lips were still shiny and red, swollen from those rough kisses. He stepped forward, smoothing out his clothing. The youngest Goldstein glanced back and forth between the buddies, all at once unsure of their relationship. Odile was in a different class than Luca and himself, she was a member of Vir Ingeniosus, the highly specialized class. He had rarely seen her around campus anymore, not since her first thirteen days. She was so private, so hidden. But Luca often disappeared to find her… were they -

Did that mean they were lovers?

 Elias felt ill at the thought. Was Luca seeing her while seeing him? Was he sleeping with her?

“That’s not fair, Odile. You bring your toy here. It’s quiet here, no one even knows about this place.” 

“O-Odile, we can leave. Luca and I…” He didn’t know what to say. Those vibrant blue eyes focused on him for only a moment. The Russian-Korean ballerina began her routine stretches, her silence easily a dismissal. Luca stood there in stunned silence, green eyes wide and lips parted. Elias took hold of the other’s wrist, as if to say that they should leave lest she get mad. It took a moment, Luca’s lips still parted, ready to come up with something. Some kind of comeback. But he moved, pulling his gaze away from her. Away from long legs stretched out as far as they could be. Her chest practically pressed against the hardwood floor.

There was so much left unsaid. So much between them. So much history over the past two years, but Luca couldn’t utter a word. And neither could Elias. He didn’t know the fullness of their relationship. And he was confused, he didn’t know where they all stood in this matter.

And - wait, did Luca say something about Odile having a partner? 

“What did she mean- what did you mean by toy? I’m not your toy, Luca!” He halted outside of the door, fingers on the knob as he looked at his on and off again partner. Those beautiful purple eyes narrowed with a fury that was quick to rise. “I will not be played with. You- you owe me an explanation.”

“Whoa now, Prince Elias,” Luca’s voice had taken a teasing tone. “Don’t start jumping down my throat.” He held up his hands, backing away from the practice room. Backing away from the red cheeked and angry wizard. A playful smile made its way to his generous mouth. “Look, how about we talk in the greenhouse? That’d be better. Don’t wanna make her mad, do ya?”

“L-Luca!” Heat built up in his cheeks, making them so much hotter. He stormed over toward the shameless flirt, but the other male was already backing up. His grin was suspiciously bright, not quite genuine. This was the Luca he knew, easily throwing away any discomfort. Easily hiding away whatever he was really feeling. “Luca you can’t just run away from me. You owe me an explanation.”

As he chased after the other he hardly noticed the man heading in their direction. The azure eyed foreigner hardly glanced their way. His head was high as always, loose black sleeves rustling. His steps were even, not quite hurried. Just fast enough. It took Elias a moment to register just who had passed him by. He paused in his steps, turning his head to gaze at the brunet walking away. It couldn’t be…

“Azusa?” What was he doing here? What was he doing in this part of campus? There were no classes here, no teachers… was he the one Luca was talking about? Elias swallowed hard, finding himself watching Azusa. The Hinomoto native paused in front of the door he had just left, knuckles rapping against the hard wood. His hand lowered to the knob, turning the brass with care, before opening the door and stepping inside.

Just what  had he gotten himself in to?

“Luca,” his voice trembled on the word, the name, but Elias drew himself up to his fullest height. “If you… if you’re after some sort of placeholder then look somewhere else. I don’t want any part of something where there isn’t any honesty. Or respect.” His tone dropped, turning chill as he started to turn away.

“Oh come on Elias, you’re jumping the broomstick.” Luca called out to him, having stopped just a few columns away. There was a lot left unsaid, a lot they had to discuss, but for now both of them had to get away for their own reasons.


	3. Veritas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All truth is empty.

There were few who walked this path anymore. Few who even knew that this part of the ancient school existed. So Azusa found himself surprised to see Odile’s buddy being trailed by a flustered Elias. He didn’t know what those boys were doing down here, but whatever the case may be it was likely that Odile had scared the duo off. She was never one to take to kindly to unwanted guests, and he had learned that pretty fast. On more than one occasion in the two years that they had met up with each other, him showing up out of the blue, she had turned to ice. Had become so cold that touching her would give him frostbite. 

If she was so quick to terminate conversations and relationships here, what kind of a woman was she back home?

He paused, brows knitting. 

What did it matter to him what she was like outside of the school? Their relationship was meant to be purely professional. She was to help him convert her potent curse on the Nue to a form of magic closely resembling his own, while still keeping up their believable lie about what happened the night that he killed the unicorn. He wasn’t sure what story she had come up with, but whatever she had said to Randolph…

“ _Living is a curse, Azusa, remember that.”_

Her words drifted back to him. Weighted and weightless all at once. The brunet sighed softly, rapping his knuckles against the dark wood before setting a hand on the brass doorknob. Azure eyes flickered to the pane of glass with its intricate shapes. He could see Odile through one of the clear planes of glass.

She stood at the barre, fingers curling around the yellowed wood. Her feet were turned outward, meeting at the heel, and her back seemed loose. She was watching herself in the mirror, wisps of strawberry blonde framing her face, the rest of the long locks had been pulled back into a tight bun. Keeping both feet flat on the floor, she began to bend her knees. Her body lowered gracefully, knees bending in alignment with the point of her toes. Soft looking black cable-knit legwarmers pooling at her ankles. After a moment she rose back to her original position.

She did not react to his knocking, but she did not turn him away.

He turned the cool metal beneath his fingers. His pale skin looked even paler against the dark golden color of the knob, the dark wood of the door. The lock clicked, the sound echoing in his ears as the door gave way. There was no loud protest from the hinges, like the Headmaster’s door - a part of him had to wonder if the insufferable man kept it so to annoy the students.

The Onmyoji stepped through the doorway, warm air rushing past him, teasing the loose dark brown locks that hadn’t been pinned down by the loose clumsy braids in his hair. The scent of baby powder still carried in the air, swirling around him and dying away. There were other scents in here, just ones he still wasn’t fully familiar with. Something was always changing, too, in the room. Some days the room might have the faint scent of tea, or burnt cloth. Some days it might smell of flowers - if the vase had been replaced. Some days the room felt colder or warmer, and it wasn’t naturally so.

“Is the _bes_ giving you trouble again?”

“Nue,” Azusa corrected, closing the door behind him. His back pressed into the cool wood, shoulders greeting the panes of glass. The closing of the door marked his entry into her dominion. Into her sanctuary. He could feel it, as if she had woven her magic through every corner of the room, over each wooden slat, each mirror, the barres and floorboards all. And maybe she had. And maybe it was just from her enchantments, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of her all around him.

The ballerina let out a soft affirmative noise and continued her stretches. Again and again she lowered her body just so, bending at the knees and not letting her heels come off the floor. But she didn’t just stick to the same position, he noted. After the fourth rise she spread her legs further apart. When she lowered herself this time, her heels came off the floor. When she rose, she pulled herself up to stand on the balls of her feet. There was a tremble in her thighs. He wasn’t sure if the cause was simply from the loosening of tension or anticipation for the next step. But whatever the case may be, he knew it was best not to dwell on it.

It wasn’t his place. And this wasn’t his thing, so to speak.

“Is the Nue troubling you, stealing into your dreams or causing your magic distress?” There was something in her voice, a softness to it he’d never heard before. Perhaps it was because she was doing something she loved while talking to him. Perhaps it was because she cared. But either way it was strange. And she was waiting for his answer.

“No.” It was all he needed to say. It was true, but at the same time not quite. It was hard to say. He was used to saying just a little more, being snide and snappish or being just informative enough to go beyond monosyllabic responses. Forcing himself past the hesitation, he spoke again. “It’s presence still makes me uncomfortable.”

As it should, he supposed. 

Odile paused, feet resting back in first position. She loosened her hold on the barre. “Sit down, Azusa,” she offered in that same soft ton, “did you bring it with you?’

“Of course I did, it would be stupid not to.” He snapped back halfheartedly. Slender fingers eased into his vest, drawing out the thin chain of the enchanted - or cursed - necklace she had given him two years prior. After saving his life, and taking the unicorn horn from him. He still had no idea what she had done with the illegal item. He had not been able to find it, had not been able to even locate it with magic. If Randy didn’t still hold him away at arms length, still didn’t trust him… perhaps they would be able to find it together.

But trust was not so easily given.

“It doesn’t feel as strong as it used to.” He stepped slowly across the room toward his host’s belongings. He tried to step carefully so as not to make a sound and further break her concentration. But with how often he came to visit her, he was sure that she had learned to dismiss the extra noises he made. As he made his way across the room he could see her turning her leg from side to side, or at least moving it so that her toe glided along the floor in graceful arcs. Or close to it. He wasn’t sure of the movements, how to describe them. But these acts were so befitting of this woman.

This woman with eyes so dark and blue they reminded him of sapphires, full of secrets. Her lips were relaxed, slightly parted, as if ready to say something in reply, but nothing was said. Nothing filled the welcome void between them. Azusa slowly lowered himself to the ground by the discarded bag, the stained and abused toe shoes. One khaki clad leg slowly drew up so he could rest an arm on his knee. He twirled the necklace between his thumb and forefinger by the long chain. He still couldn’t read most of the symbols she had used, but some had been half converted to familiar symbols.

Thin lips curled into a sneer. The negative energy the cage usually radiated had begun to die down recently. A blessing, perhaps. Or just the evil spirit biding its time. Odile specialized in magics that had been banned from Gedonelune for centuries. Magics that still were prevalent where she came from. The art of blood magic, sacrificial magic, curses, those were things she excelled in. However, it was what she used as a catalyst for her magic that had separated her from the other students. And it seemed that the Nue had realized that as long as she was near it could not escape…

“There’s food in my bag, if you’re hungry.” Odile offered once he had settled down. She adjusted her position once more, bringing her left leg up to rest the side of her foot against her knee. As she lowered her right foot to the ground, her left slid down to her ankle, gliding back up when she lifted herself back onto the ball of her right. He watched the way she moved her legs as if this was the most natural thing for her. But he turned his gaze away when she switched. “You don’t have to feed me, I’m not a child. And I don’t need your pity or concern.”

“But you’re the one who comes to me. You are the one who returns here every other day. You’re the one constantly seeking out -”

“I don’t just need you like that!” The outburst came so suddenly. He couldn’t be certain just what brought that on. He had swore that their business was just that, business. That previous interactions would have no influence on the situation… 

But…

Silence began to seep between them, filling in the void. There was no brush of cloth against the floor. No indication of Odile’s movements. Just silence. He had said too much. Had let slip far more than he had ever thought to. And he couldn’t take the words back. There was no way.

Azusa hesitated. He what was said was said, what was done was done. The truth was weightless and weighty all at once. He lifted his gaze, looking away from the amber hued floorboards, the sunlight stretching from the window. He looked to the wall of mirrors, to Odile. She had turned to face him, back pressed against the barre. One arm was curled around her ribs, breasts resting on top of the limb as best they could considering how the leotard flattened them. Her other arm lay limply at her side.

“I need you too.” She wasn’t looking at him, cheeks pink and eyes downcast. “But I don’t know how…”


End file.
